Evening grosbeaks, which make concentrated winter irruptions south as far as Pennsylvania irregularly at best, may be on the way this year.
According to the 22nd annual Winter Finch Forecast from the Ontario Field Ornithologists, the “spectacular winter finch appears to be on the move this winter.”
Tyler Hoar, who took over responsibilities for the forecast from Ron Pittaway this year, noted that the grosbeak’s "breeding population appears to be increasing in eastern Canada westward to Manitoba due to increasing outbreaks of spruce budworm with large severe outbreaks in eastern Quebec.
"Visual count observations by Tadoussac Bird Observatory in Quebec of grosbeaks moving primarily towards the southwest are reported to be the highest early fall numbers recorded in 25 years.
"Expect flights of evening grosbeaks into southern Ontario, southern Quebec, Maritime Provinces, New York and New England States, with some finches going farther south into the United States.
“At feeders they prefer black oil sunflower seeds. Away from feeders evening grosbeaks will look for maple and ash trees still holding keys.”
When fall cone and tree-seed crops in the boreal forests across most of Ontario and northeastern Canada are sparse, the birds that rely on those food sources move to the south in search of more abundant sources of food. It’s known as an irruption and some years it sees the northern finches move as far south as Pennsylvania.
Overall, Hoar reports, "It looks to be a flight year for several species in the East. Most cone crops average poor to fair from Lake Superior eastward with eastern white pine being the exception. Spruce crops increase west from Lake Superior from fair to excellent in western Canada and Alaska.
He expects most purple finches – another winter irruptive species – to migrate south out of eastern Canada this winter. Reports of the species have been emerging from northern states for several weeks, and “abnormally high numbers” of purple finches have been reported by contributors to the forecast.
The pandemic interfered with obtaining widespread information on the swamp birch seed crop, but the white and yellow birch crops across boreal and southern Canada appear to be just poor to fair. So, if the common and hoary redpolls move away from the swamp birch areas they could be push to the south.
Large numbers of pine siskins are being reported in western Canada, but an excellent spruce seed crop also is being noted and that means the species probably won’t be making much of a winter irruption. In eastern Canada, on the other hand, the smaller number of siskins are finding more limited food availability and will be moving south.
Red crossbills and white-winged crossbills are not expected to make much of a move this winter, as white pines and spruce have produced excellent seed crops.
Contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.
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October 01, 2020 at 04:00PM
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Is this the year that evening grosbeaks return to bird feeders in Pennsylvania? - pennlive.com
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